Judicial Nominees

Last night, the Senate confirmed Bernice Bouie Donald to a seat on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals – adding diversity and excellence to that court. Judge Donald, who previously served as a federal district court judge in Tennessee, was confirmed by a vote of 96-2. She had the support of both home-state, Republican senators, and was voted out of the Judiciary Committee without opposition. Notwithstanding, her nomination did not receive a floor vote for four months because of the unprecedented obstruction of a minority of Senators. Read more »

This week, the Senate returns from its August recess. With all of the needs confronting the nation, it is unconscionable that because of a determined minority, included on its must-do list is a large number of unaddressedjudicial nominations that have been piling up. Despite 92 federal judicial vacancies, 37 of which are deemed judicial emergencies, the Senate left town without taking action on 20 judicial nominees, many of whom were approved without any opposition whatsoever by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and have been waiting for a Senate vote for months. Read more »